Marine propulsion apparatus



FQFJO 1925 1,527,571

' V J. A. MQRMSON MARINE PROPULSION APPARATUS Filed April 12, 1,924 2 $heets-$heet 1 INVENTOR.

1/ I w QZ/Vazrzso Patented F b. 24, 1925.

oNrrEo STATES PATENT OFFICE.

A, muss Arron 'uonmson, or 1140110121., CALIFORNIA.-

manmn raorunsron nrrannrvs.

. Application filed April 12, 1924. Serial No. 706,060.

To a ll'whom u may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES ALTON Monmson, a crtlzen of the United States, residing at Macdoehin the county of Siskiyou and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Marine.

Propulsion Apparatus, of which the followmg is a specification, reference being had to g the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to marine propulsion apparatus and more particularly to an im roved propeller construction.

n important object of the invention is to provide a propeller of the paddle-wheel type the blades of which are so constructed that they engage the water with maximum propulsion efiiciency, these blades being supported by arms constructed to allow relative movement of the blades with relation to the shaft from which they are driven, the blades themselves being weighted so that the arms by which they are supported are normally held radial to the shaft by centrifugal force. This type of mounting of the blades permits yielding of the blades at the point of initial contact with the water or at that point which in a rotating paddle-wheel blade serves in the ordinary construction not to cause the boat to. progress but to elevate 1n the water.

A further object of the invention 1s to provide a novel mounting for the drive. shafts of ropellers of the paddle-wheel type so that tie depth of submergence of the blades may be regulated. These and other objects I attain by the construction shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a. preferred embodiment of my invention and wherein Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a hull showing propellers and driving apparatus for the propellers constructed in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is a detail sectional view through the end of the drive shaftmounting and the adjacent portions of the propeller;

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken through the propeller shaft bearing ad acent e inner face of the hull;

Figure 4 is a. plan view showing the mountin of the propeller bearings upon the wall oft e hull; Figure 5 is a sectional view showmg the construction oi, the center bearing;

Figure 6 is disectional view through the.

hub of the propeller showing the oil pasarms 11 may be either of the type shown I in Figure 1 or 8. In the first figure each arm is formed in two sections one of which, indicated at 14, is rigidly secured to the hub and the other of which, indicated at 15, is secured to the blade 12. These arms are provided with 'a pivot permitting relative movement of the section 15 to the section 14 in the general planeof rotation of the arms.

In this type of construction the hub is preferably provided with an oil chamber 16 communicatingwith ports 17 extendin 1on gitudinally of the sections 14 to the pivotal connection so that oil maybe delivered to these connections to prevent undue wear and insure freedom of movement of the sections 15 at all times. In the form shown in Figure 8 the arms 1.1 are flexible so that they may yield to permit a change in angle between the active 'face 13 of the blades 12 and the shaft engaging portion of the arm.

In Figure 1 Ihave illustrated a preferred form of mounting for propellers of this construction. In the opposite side walls of the vessel vertical slots 18 are .formed. Upon the interior of the vessel at opposite sides of these slots vertical guides1 9 are secured which are engaged the side edges of verb} cally adjusts le plates 23. In the Fiespnt instance, as a means for adjustment ofjthe plates I have-shown the lower ends of? the plates as provided with a. worm-threaded ex.- tension 24 which extends into a. standard 25 arranged upon the deck .of the'boath- The upper end or this base .forms a. SIEPOIC for,

a pair of nuts 27 mounted upon 0 wormthreaded extension, one of which servesjas a. lock -nut,while the other serves to regulate raising or loweri'n' of the plate 23 by the. no

831201181011. These p ates 23 have 1;, for-the ends'of ashaft 29,, these bearings pro.-

, truding throu 'h the slots 18.

The shaft, if

desired, may he provided intermediate the vbearings 28 with additional vertically ad- .justable bearings 30.

26 and 27 -similar to the parts 25, 26 and 27 employed for adjusting the plates 23. This shaft may be rovided with a crank 34 for connection wit a, drive or may be driven in any suitable manner.

The shaft preferably has extended longitudinally thereof an oil feed port 35 fed from oil cups 36 carried by the bearings 28 and 30. The outer ends of the shafts are 7 provided with squared shanks entering the socketsof the hubs 10 of the propellers and through one side face of the squared shank 37 this port opens for communication with the oil pocket 16 of the propeller hub. This lubrication is provided not only for thebearings of theshaft proper but for the bearings of the blade arms if these are jointed; In the operation of the device the blade issswung outwardly by centrifugal force and upon striking the water the momentum of' the blade is retarded and this reta'rdationof the blade is transferred to the vessel resulting in forward motion thereof. Due to the fact that the blades may change their angle to the point of attachment of the arms to the shaft, the tendency to upward thrust by the blades is eliminated and the efiiciency of the ,blades of propulsion increased. By varying the'de'pth of en agement ofthe blades through vertical a justment of the shaft 29, the speed of propulsion may be regulated through regulation of the period ofengagement of the blades'with the water and the depth of such engagement.

It will, of course, be understood that the shaft: 29 must be rotated at a considerable speed at all times in order that the weighted blades may assume their proper ,osltions between the times when they leave t e water and when they again enter the same. It will, of course, be obvious that the construc- ,tion of the propeller as 'hereinbefore set forth is capable of a considerable range of change and modification without materially departing from the spirit of my invention and I accordingly do not limit myself to such specific structure except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim':

1. In a propeller of the paddle-wheel ty e a hub, arms radiating from the hub, blad carried by the outer'ends of said arms, said blades being of considerable weight, said arms including. blade attached and hub attached portions capable of angular movement with relation to one another in the line of swing of the blades.

In a propeller of the paddle-wheel type, a hub, arms radiating from the hub, blades carried by the outer ends. of said arms, said blades being of considerable weight, said arms includingblade attached and hub attached rtions capable of an ular movement witi relation to one anot er in the line of swing of the blades, and a hinged connection between said portions.

3. In a propeller of the paddle-wheel type, a hub, arms radiating from the hub,'bl'ades carried by the outer ends of said arms, said blades being of considerable weight, said arms including blade attached and hub aty tached portions capable of angular movement with relation to one another in the line of swing of the blades, a hinged connection between said portions, and means feeding a lubricant from the hub to said hinged connections. i I

4. In a propeller of the paddle-wheel type,

a hub, arms radiating from the hub, blades carried by the outer ends ofsaid arms, said blades being of considerableoveight, said arms including blade attached and hub attached portions capable of angular lllQVOtment with relation to one another in the line of swing of the blades, the connection be-.

tween said portions being flexible. r

In testnnony whereof I hereunto allix my signature.

JAMES ALTON MORRISO 

